[BECAUSE] being the dumbest person is important

#LeadershipMinit - It's an adage - but a good one. One of the best team productivity hacks I've learned is to hire people who are better/smarter than you are. Actively work to ensure you're the “dumbest” person in the room.

It allows you to ask questions.

Asking questions allows you to both learn and to provide your team with the knowledge that you value their expertise, input, and opinions. A well-formed question is the best flashlight. Questions provide insights that statements will never recognize.

Over time being the "dumbest person on the team" has trickle-down benefits - a team that knows you value them, knows you're open to listening to them (about both the good and bad), and learns by example that they too can ask questions means they feel more empowered and emancipated to take on projects as owners, not just employees. Over time you become less needed on a day-to-day basis to complete projects. Your team's talent accomplishes more than you ever could in a control centered environment. A leader who insists on having their hands on every aspect of a project will only ever grasp as far as their arms can reach.

As the team accomplishes more and becomes increasingly independent, you will be able to focus on the big-picture tasks. The things that only you are responsible for, only you'll be able to “see,” only you can fix from your leadership perch. Additionally, you will get better at identifying and removing obstacles for them - before they become roadblocks to success. Allowing the project & company to continue to grow and evolve.

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